


Four's a Crowd

by Mangoesaregood8



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Boys Kissing, Campfires, Camping, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, S'mores, Stargazing, Summer Gladnis Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 12:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20243140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangoesaregood8/pseuds/Mangoesaregood8
Summary: Gladio can't stand the claustrophobic nature of the city any longer, so Ignis suggests they camp for the night to get a break from the confines of their hotel room.





	Four's a Crowd

"How long are we gonna stay in this damn hotel?" Gladio growled as he threw himself into the armchair. "We've been here for almost a week. I feel like I'm going crazy." 

Ignis was sitting in the armchair opposite Gladio, leafing through the paper from that morning. "I know, but Noct seems to have taken an aversion to camping. He barely tolerates the caravans. Prompto doesn't mind it though."

"Yeah, but I do. I'm tired of being stuck in this room. Camping's better for you anyway." Gladio crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. Day by day, the room felt like it was closing in on him. If he had to stay here any longer, he wouldn't have enough room to breathe. "I gotta get out of here."

"The hotel does have an expansive set of trails nearby. Would you like to go hiking?" Ignis asked. 

"Sure. But then I'm still stuck in this room when we're done." Getting out for a few hours would help, but Gladio needed to stay out longer than that.

“Well, Noct and Prompto are perfectly content to stay here for another night. Why don’t we give them a bit of space?” Ignis suggested.

“Huh?” Gladio sat up in his chair. “What do you mean?”

“Why don’t we go camping?” Ignis set the newspaper down on the coffee table. “Just the two of us. You can pick your favorite spot.”

“My favorite spot.” Gladio rubbed his chin as he thought. “That’s a tough one. How about that site near the Rock of Ravatogh?”

Ignis stood up and adjusted his glasses. “I’ll get the keys.”

Most of Gladio’s camping equipment was sitting unused in the trunk of the Regalia, so it didn’t take long for them to pack. Ignis picked a few ingredients from the market behind the Leville so they could make dinner once they arrived. He put the groceries in the back of the car, and climbed into the driver’s seat.

Gladio pushed the passenger seat as far back as it would go then climbed in next to Ignis.

"Ready?" Ignis asked. 

Gladio smiled and nodded. "Ready."

Ignis put the car in gear and turned onto the highway toward the volcano. The landscape around them changed as they drove away from the city. The tall trees of the forest shrank until they disappeared completely. Soon they were surrounded by the rocky plains created by past volcanic activity. Ignis pulled into the closet parking spot he could find by the campsite and turned the ignition off. 

"That's much better." Gladio closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest. The cool night air felt amazing against his skin as a gentle breeze blew over thm. em. No more finicky air conditioner. He opened his eyes to look up at the sky. Out here away from the city, the stars shone brighter. He picked out a few constellations. The bright lights of Lestallum obscured so much of the sky, that stargazing was impossible.

“Shall we?” Ignis asked. He climbed out of the car and picked up the groceries from the tent. 

Gladio pulled out the tent, and grabbed a small cooler and the grill. He easily balanced them in his arms with a skill that only came with years of practice.

The two men hiked up the path until they could see the campsite. Gladio worked on setting up the tent, while Ignis collected wood and rocks for a campfire. He made a circle with the rocks and meticulously stacked the wood inside it. He added a bit of kindling, then lit it with a match. He stood with his back to the wind, protecting the budding flames from being blown out. Once the fire was steadily burning, he turned his attention towards food.

Gladio finished setting up the tent and took a step back. Just being out in the open made him feel better. He enjoyed stopping by the Leville from time to time, especially because he got to see Iris, but the beds were far too soft. He preferred something more firm, like the ground beneath the tent.

“What would you like for dinner Gladio?” Ignis asked. 

“I don’t know. I’m not that hungry.”

“You? Not hungry? Are you feeling alright?”

“What can I say? I had a big lunch.”

“I hope you have a bit of room left,” Ignis said as he pulled a bag of marshmallows out from one of the bags.

“I can always make room for s'mores.” Gladio took two of the sticks that Ignis had collected earlier and broke them down until they were a suitable size to use as skewers before handing one to the tactician.

Ignis took two marshmallows and impaled them on his skewer. He sat down beside the fire and held the marshmallows a safe distance over the flames as the toasted each side to a warm golden brown. Gladio sat down beside him and held his marshmallows in the flames. Once each had caught on fire, he pulled them out and waited a few seconds before blowing the fire out. His marshmallows had a heavy black char, and a few had started bubbling.

Ignis made a face and shook his head. “I don’t understand how you and Prompto can eat them like that. They’re burned.”

“And they taste delicious.” Gladio rummaged around through the bags of groceries until he found graham crackers and a chocolate bar. He constructed his s’more before taking a bite. He smiled and closed his eyes as the rich chocolate blended with the sweet marshmallow in his mouth. “Damn that’s good.”

Ignis inspected his marshmallows, checking the color. They had cooked all the way around, but were they done yet? He squeezed one of them gently to check the firmness. It was softer than usual, and the crisp skin separated from the inside. “Perfect.”

Gladio chuckled and shook his head. 

“Something wrong?”

“Nope. Just enjoying watching you is all.”

Ignis put the finishing touches on his s’more. The flavor was well worth the effort of cooking the marshmallow properly. He had seared food before, so he was no stranger to a slight char, but charring a marshmallow? He had tried it once out of curiosity, but the marshmallow tasted like a charcoal brick. He vowed that was something he would never do again.

“You know, this is nice,” Gladio said. “I’m glad you came out here with me.”

“It is nice to be able to spend time alone with you.”

Gladio laid back with his hands behind his head. “Yeah. We should do this more often.”

Ignis laid down next to Gladio and rested his head in the crook of the bigger man’s neck. “I agree.”

Gladio ran his fingers through Ignis’s hair before leaning down to plant a gentle kiss on the tactician’s lips.

Ignis smiled into the kiss and scooted closer. When they parted, he closed his eyes and wrapped an arm around Gladio’s waist. Between the campfire at their feet, and Gladio’s body next to him, he was warm. But unlike in the sticky air of their hotel room, he was comfortable. So comfortable that he had to stop himself from falling asleep on the spot. The skies were clear, and it was warm enough out that they could sleep out in the open, but Gladio had gone through the effort to set up the tent, so it would be a shame for it to have gone to waste.

They finished their s’mores and watched the stars twinkling above them. Gladio pointed out different stars, constellations, and even a few planets. Growing up in Insomnia, Ignis rarely had the opportunity to see so many celestial bodies, even with a telescope. 

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” Ignis said.

Gladio pulled Ignis closer and kissed the top of his head. “Me too Iggy.”


End file.
